Vacuum cleaner



2 1941- c. o. ERNOLF 2,232,906

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug. 19, 1936 opening;

Patented Feb. 25, 1941 PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Carl Oskar Ernolf,Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del.,- acorporation of Delaware Application August 19, 1936, Serial No. 96,722In Germany August 19, 1935 4 Claims. (01. 230-47) adapted to haveconnected thereto a hose for the purpose of conveying air either to orfrom the casing, depending on whether the device is being used as asuction cleaner or as a blower.-

In a cleaner of this type, it is desirable to provide as large anexhaust opening as possible in order to maintain the back pressureacting against the fan at as low a value as possible. On the other suchas to accommodate a hose of convenient dimensions.

According to my invention, several exhaust openings are provided soas'to give a large total area, and are so arrange-d that the insertionof a hose or the like in one of these openings automatically closes theremaining openings so that all of the air exhausted by the fan is causedto flow into the hose. Moreover, this is accomplished without the use ofa valve or any moving parts whatsoever with the exception of the hose.

Another object of my invention is to so arrange the exhaust openingsthat all of. the air discharged from the cleaner, particularly when thehose is not attached to the exhaust opening, is directed upwardly andaway from the surface on which the cleaner unit is supportedj Furtherobjects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, which forms a part. of the specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section, ofone embodiment ofmy invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is aview of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1 with a hoseconnected in an exhaust Fig. 4 is a view showing a portion of a vacuumcleaner similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but including anotherembodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 shows a still further embodiment of my invention.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, reference character l8 designatesa hollow casing member i2 removably secured to the casing proper by anysuitable means, such as spring clips IS. A ring I4 is clamped betweencover I 2 and casing I and supports the open mouth of a dustbag I 5.Cover member I2 is provided with an inlet opening i6 adapted to receiveone end of a hose ll. The other end of hose l1 may be connected to asuction nozzle l8 and a rigid hollow handle member l9 may be interposedbetween the hose and thenozzle.

Suitably mounted within casing I0 is an electric motor 20 havinganarmature shaft 2| upon which is mounted a centrifugal fan comprisingrotors 22 within fan housing 23. A motor shield 24 may be secured to thecasing so as to enclose the end of the motor opposite the fan. Shield 24is Provided with openings 25 for the passage of air.

Secured to casing ill in any suitable manner, such as by spring clipssimilar to those shown at I3, is a cup-shaped member 26. A filter member21 may be disposed across member 26 rearwardly of motor shield 24 and soarranged that all of the air passing through the casing must passthrough the filter. I

Member 26 is formed with a main exhaust opening 28 having a bore the"same as that of inlet opening I6. whereby it is adapted to receive the.end of hose l'l.

shown, two openings 29 having an arcuate form are provided. The innerends of openings 28 communicate with the bore of opening 28, while theouter ends are open to the atmosphere. The general direction of openings29 is also upwardly so that air discharged therefrom is directed away 40from the surface.

The apparatus operates as follows:

Rotation of rotors 22 by motor 28' causes air to be drawn in throughnozzle l8, handle l8, hose l1 and inlet opening it into the interiorofdust bag l5. If the nozzle is passed over a dusty surface, dust will beentrained with this air and deposited within the dust bag, The airpasses through the dust bag to the fan from vwhere it is dischargedthrough the motor and through '50 the openings 25 in motor shield 24 towithin cup-shaped member 26.' From here the air passes through filter 21and to the atmosphere through exhaust opening 28 and exhaust openings29. The total area of openings 28 and 29 I is suficiently great so thata minimum bacl: pressure is imposed. on the fan, thereby increasing theefiectiveness of the latter. The bore of openingial is cut away at itslower part as shown at 3"! whereby air passing particularly through thelower part of the filter may fiow without interference through theopenings 29.

If it is desired to employ the device for blowing, hose l? is removedfrom inlet opening l6 and inserted in exhaust opening 28 as is shown inFig. 3, the nozzle l8. and perhaps the hollow handle having beenremoved. In this position the end of the hose closes the inner ends ofopenings 29, thereby preventing the flow of air therethrough andassuring that all of the air passes into the hose. When used forblowing, the cover it and dust bag it may be removed in order tominimize the resistance to flow of air from the atmosphere to the fan.

The embodiment shown in Fig. i is in all respects similar to thatdiscussed above with the exception that the end of cup-shaped member 28is dished inwardly in order that the outer end of opening 2d will beprotected from injury in the event that the vacuum cleaner isaccidentally dropped on its end.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the open-,

ing 29a does not communicate with the bore of exhaust opening 28a butthe inner end of the former opening terminates in a curved surface,which is a continuation of the curved surface of the upper part of theopening 28a. Thus, when the end of hose H is inserted into opening 28a,the innermost part of the end contacts the ends of the walls definingopening 29a and prevents fiow of air through openings 2961.

While in the embodiments illustrated, hose H has been shown as retainedin inlet opening H5 and exhaust openings 28 or 28a by means of a jamfit, it will be understood'by those skilled in the art that any otherwell known type of connection may be employed.

While I have shown several more or less specific embodiments of myinvention it is understood that this has been done for purposes ofillustration only and that they do not constitute any limitation of theinvention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claimsviewed in the light of the prior art. Moreover, the material of member26 which surrounds the dished portion provides a supporting rim of adiameter substantially as great as that of the member 26, which rim isdisposed in a plane normal to the lengthwise extent of the casing l0,whereby the cleaner may he stood on end in spite of the fact that theexhaust passage formed by upwardly inclined bore 28 is of sufiicientlength to cause the air flowing therethrough to be directed upwardly.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing adapted to be supported on a horizontalsurface and formed with an inlet opening, means for inducing flow of airthrough said casing, said casing having afirst exhaust opening and asecond exhaust opening arranged in a substantially vertical wall ofaasaooe said casing and which are both normally open for the flowtherethrough of air, and a hose engageable within said first exhaustopening to receive air discharged therethrough, the inner end of saidsecond exhaust opening terminating in line with the side of said firstexhaust opening whereby said hose closes said second exhaust openingwhen engaged in said first exhaust opening said second exhaust openingbeing disposed above the first, both of said exhaust openings beingarranged to discharge air upwardly away from said surface.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing formed with an inlet opening, amotor-fan unit in. said casing for inducing flow of air through saidinlet opening, said casing having a cylindrical passage forming a mainexhaust opening and another passage communicating with said cylindricalpassage at one side and forming an auxiliary exhaust opening, both ofsaid exhaust openings being normally unobstructed for flow of airtherethrough the opposite side of said cylindrical passage being cutaway, and a hose having a cylindrical end insertable into said mainexhaust opening to a point beyond the point of communication of saidauxiliary exhaust opening whereby the latter is closed by said hose.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, an elongated casing "formed with an inletopening at one end, means for supporting said casing horizontally on ahorizontal surface, a motor-fan unit in said casing for inducing flow ofair through said inlet opening, a cup-shaped member secured to the otherend of said casing and having an inwardly dished end formed with a firstexhaust opening of appreciable length and a second exhaust opening, bothof said openings being inclined upwardly and away from said surface andthe outer ends of said openings terminating within the hollow formed bysaid dished end, and a hose member receivable within said first exhaustopening, the inner end of said second exhaust opening terminatingrelative to said first exhaust opening so that the side of said hosemember closes said second exhaust opening when received in said firstexhaust opening.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, an elongated casing formed with an inlet openingat one end, means for supporting said ca'singhorlzontally on ahorizontal surface, a motor fan unit insaid casing .for inducing flow ofair through said inlet opening a supporting rim disposed in a planenormal to the lengthwise extent of said casing and substantlally as wideas said end 'cap.

CARL OSKAR ERNOLF.

